APRN: Complete Feedhttp://www.alaskapublic.org
Get all of APRN's posted content in one convenient feed. Includes Alaska News Nightly, Talk of Alaska and our individual news items from APRN reporters across Alaska.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:13:17 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.2Copyright (c)2007 APRN and Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.alaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dcNews & Politicswebmaster@aprn.orgAlaska Public Radio NetworkAlaska Public Radio Networknoalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dcThis is the full content feed for APRN.org -- home of the Alaska Public Radio Network. It includes all postings from all content categories on the site, including Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, and our Alaska News feed.This is the full content feed for APRN.org -- home of the Alaska Public Radio Network. It includes all postings from all content categories on the site, including Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, and our Alaska News feed.61.203953-149.814401http://aprn.org/http://media.akpm.org/images/podcasts/podbadge-comp-144.pngAPRN.orgaprn-allhttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with ODEOSubscribe with PodnovaBOEM collecting comments on proposed OCS lease sale in Arctic, Cook Inlethttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/IxYzmeNF4ww/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/boem-collecting-comments-on-proposed-ocs-lease-sale-in-arctic-cook-inlet/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 08:13:17 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136099

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held an open house in Anchorage Monday seeking comments on the draft proposed off-shore lease sales for 2017 to 2022. The draft proposal includes sales in the northern Cook Inlet, the Beaufort and the Chukchi Seas.

The three lease sales in Alaska are planned for the end of the five-year period, in 2020 to 2022. Regional BOEM director James Kendall says the scheduling is intentional.

“We want to make sure we get as much relevant scientific information as we can, as much socioeconomic information as we can. There’s also traditional knowledge. So it gives us more time to plan and focus what we’re really considering.”

The agency is currently collecting public comments for a draft environmental impact statement. They’re looking for substantive input like maps of important areas or new studies.

The current proposal already excludes some areas from the potential sale to protect wildlife habitat and subsistence uses in the Chukchi Sea and a small area for whaling in the Beaufort Sea.

Kendall says the final proposal won’t be completed until 2017, and the lease sales are not definite.

“Even if they’re in the final program, that doesn’t mean they’re going to happen. They could be cancelled at any time,” Kendall explains. “We want people to understand that this is a very iterative process, and it intentionally takes a long time so that decision are made very thoughtfully with the best information available…The way the process is set up, we can cancel any of these lease sales right up to the very end based on new information, if necessary.”

Environmental groups and some northern Alaskan residents are hoping the Arctic lease sales will not go forward, in part because there’s no infrastructure in place to clean up a major spill. BOEM’s environmental analysis for Chukchi Lease Sale 193 says there’s a 75% chance for one or more large oil spills to occur in the region if there’s drilling.

Kotzebue resident John Chase spoke during a press conference hosted by the Wilderness Society before the open house. He says his family relies 90 percent on subsistence foods and drilling in the Arctic is not a risk he wants to take.

Pro-industry groups say development in the Arctic is necessary for the state and national economies. According to a 2011 study by ISER and Northern Economics, development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas could bring the state $19 billion over a 50-year period. It could create an annual average of nearly 55 thousand jobs nationwide.

“I got two little grandsons and I’m looking at them, hoping that when they’re old enough to get into the workforce that OCS is going to be cranking along and that we’re going to be having jobs to put them to work, to earn money, to raise their families.”

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/boem-collecting-comments-on-proposed-ocs-lease-sale-in-arctic-cook-inlet/feed/0noThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held an open house in Anchorage Monday seeking comments on the draft proposed off-shore lease sales for 2017 to 2022, which includes sales in the northern Cook Inlet, the Beaufort and the Chukchi Seas. But the proposaAlaska Public Radio NetworkThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held an open house in Anchorage Monday seeking comments on the draft proposed off-shore lease sales for 2017 to 2022, which includes sales in the northern Cook Inlet, the Beaufort and the Chukchi Seas. But the proposal is far from final.alaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/boem-collecting-comments-on-proposed-ocs-lease-sale-in-arctic-cook-inlet/http://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/BOEM/About_BOEM/BOEM_Regions/Alaska_Region/Leasing_and_Plans/Leasing/Lease_Sales/Sale_193/Lease_Sale_193_DraftSSEIS_vol1.pdf3,000 Pounds of Auctioned Antlers Highlight State’s Role Managing Trafficked Wildlifehttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/K8zc5gnSYB8/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/3000-pounds-of-auctioned-antlers-highlight-states-role-combating-wildlife-trafficking/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 04:22:53 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136089

Handsome antlers sold for around $175 a pair. Auction buyers often sell raw antlers to artists to use as raw material. Smaller pieces that were cut up for easier transport were kept in plastic totes and auctioned by the pound. (Photo: Zachariah Hughes, KSKA)

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game held its annual “Hide and Horn” auction Sunday, selling off all the leftover animal products the state comes to possess while managing Alaska’s wildlife. The auction is not only a Fur Rondy tradition, but part of how the state manages its wildlife resources.

This year, an unprecedented number of caribou antlers went to bid, the result of a trafficking case stretching from Juneau to the Northwest Arctic community of Selawik.

Just past the fairgrounds in downtown Anchorage, crowds of people strolled between dozens of bear hides, sheep capes, and bundles of caribou antlers duck-taped together, resembling thigh-high tumbleweeds. On stage, helpers hoisted spindly, branch-like antlers high overhead while the auctioneer coaxed patrons towards $150 or $175 a set.

“I’m owner of Knight’s Taxidermy here in Anchorage, Alaska,” said Russell Knight, “and I’m down here to buy bear hides, horns and antlers, and anything else I can get.”

Lots of 10 antlers fetched as much as $750. Size, quality, and age all played a role in bidding. Not all the antlers came from the same harvest season. (Photo: Zachariah Hughes, KSKA)

Knight and many of the more aggressively bidders are professional buyers, loading up on supplies for taxidermy, handicrafts, and fine arts at relatively low prices. This is the state’s largest auction of wildlife products, and is part of Anchorage’s annual Fur Rondy celebration.

Richard Person is the head of the Southcentral Chapter of the Alaska Trappers Association, and explained the origins of Fur Rondy—short for ‘fur rendezvous.’ “Traditionally a rendezvous would be where the hunters and trappers would come together, drink a lot of whiskey, and sell their pelts.”

The Trappers Association has won the contract to put on the auction for the state the last few years, and Person believes it is one of the few ways the state is able to share some of its rarest resources with residents.

“It gives a chance for regular folks who don’t have an opportunity maybe to take one of these animals in a hunting situation to come and still participate and own a piece of Alaska…that is unique,” Person said.

This year’s auction is especially unique. The state had 3,000 pounds of caribou antlers for sale, about five times the usual.

Most are from just one criminal case.

Nome-based Wildlife Trooper Brian Miller was stationed flew to Kotzebue in 2011 to investigate reports of an outside buyer shipping huge quantities of antlers to the road system on a commercial freight plane.

“It had been sent from the village of Selawik,” Miller recalled. “Prior to the shipping from the village it had been wrapped up on pallets. Stacks of antlers wrapped in plastic, probably about four to five feet high.”

It is illegal to buy or sell raw antlers that were not naturally shed in the Northwest Arctic Borough, where caribou are a key subsistence stock. That regulation came after pressure from antler merchants in the ‘80s and ‘90s led to a troubling wave of wanton waste cases along the banks of the Kobuk and Noatak rivers.

In the 2011 case, the state brought 22 misdemeanor charges against Harbor Stanton of Copper Center, whose trip, according to charging documents, was financed for $10,5000 by Ivory Jack’s Trading company in Juneau.

“I’ve not come across that before or since,” said Miller of the several pallets recovered both in Kotzebue and Selawik. Many of the antlers had been split into pieces by a band-saw to make them easier to transport.

Stanton settled the case in July of 2014. He was fined $500 dollars and forfeited the antlers.

Which begs the question: what is the state to do when it suddenly acquires 2,000 pounds of illegal caribou antlers?

Since they do not need to be fleshed or sealed like hides, they head straight to a warehouse until they find a new home.

Approximately 50 bear hides were sold, along with pelts from beavers, wolves, dall sheep, and even a musk ox hide. At least two musk oxen were destroyed in Defense of Life and Property this year, with more taken as part of an expanded hunt to deal with a nuisance population near Nome. ADF&G permitted out those musk oxen mounts to facilities in Ketchican and Homer. (Photo: Zachariah Hughes, KSKA)

Wildlife Technician Jim Holmes is with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. It is his job to wrangle the full force of the state’s bureaucracy when it comes to sharing wildlife resources–even the ones obtained in unfortunate circumstances.

“Typically, throughout the year I get requests from schools, museums, educational facilities, visitor centers–places like that–who are requesting these items for educational purposes,” Holmes said, sitting in his office near to the many mounts and skulls decorating the ADF&G building in Anchorage.

Holmes estimates the annual auction is just one percent of his total workload. Most of the time he arranges for road-kill, animals taken out of season, or in Defense of Life and Property, to be taxidermied or tanned, then redistributed to public areas where residents can view them.

The auction usually brings between $40,000 and $60,000 in revenue, which covers the costs of handling all the horns and hides the department manages in the course of a year.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/3000-pounds-of-auctioned-antlers-highlight-states-role-combating-wildlife-trafficking/feed/0noThe unprecedented tonnage of caribou antlers were the result of a trafficking case stretching from Juneau to the Northwest Arctic community of Selawik. Alaska Public Radio NetworkThe unprecedented tonnage of caribou antlers were the result of a trafficking case stretching from Juneau to the Northwest Arctic community of Selawik. alaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/3000-pounds-of-auctioned-antlers-highlight-states-role-combating-wildlife-trafficking/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302-04.mp3Gov. Walker, Republican Leadership Tangle Over Proposed LNG Linehttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/janpYegOGcg/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/gov-walker-republican-leadership-tangle-over-proposed-lng-line/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:30:16 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136066Download Audio]]>

In a press conference March 2, 2015, Gov. Bill Walker holds up a copy of House Bill 132 that would limit the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation’s powers on the Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline. House leaders introduced it earlier that day. The governor was adamant that the bill would hinder rather than help progress for the project by tying the state’s hands during negotiations. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)

Since Gov. Bill Walker was inaugurated, he and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have traded reams of angry letters and testy press releases. Now, their paper battle has escalated into outright hostility in press conferences. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez is on the line to talk about the disagreements over a proposed natural gas line.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday, members of the House’s Republican leadership dropped a bill that would put constraints on the Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline — which a lot of people think of as the “little” gasline. ASAP had been conceived as a backup plan to AKLNG project, which would be the natural gas equivalent of the TransAlaska pipeline and involve the state partnering as a minority player with Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada to get it built. That project would cost at least $45 billion, and move North Slope natural gas to Asian consumers.

But in February, the Governor announced via an op-ed in the Alaska Dispatch News that he was going to turn the little line into a big line, too. With that vision, ASAP would be a massive export project like AKLNG, but with the state positioned to take a majority share — something that’s been a priority for the governor, but met with some skepticism from the Legislature because of the risk and cost of taking that position.

The bill introduced in the Alaska House of Representatives would stop that plan dead. It puts limits on how much natural gas the ASAP project could transfer for export, and effectively puts a cap on how big the project would be. The legislators behind it say the purpose is to demonstrate that Alaska is not pursuing two competing projects at the same time, something they believe could jeopardize the AKLNG project.

How did the governor react?

Within two hours of the bill being introduced, the governor called a press conference in response . Let’s just say Gov. Walker was not amused.

WALKER: This is why I ran for governor. This is why we don’t have a gasline today. Because we refuse to stand up for ourselves.

Walker held up a marked up version of the bill, with scrawled underlines and exclamation points, and called it an “outrage.” He also questioned the motives of the five bill sponsors — House Speaker Mike Chenault, Rules Chair Craig Johnson, Majority Leader Charisse Millett, Majority Whip Bob Herron, and Rep. Mike Hawker.

WALKER: I’m shocked that it got this many sponsors. I really question who these people work for. They’re certainly not reading the same Constitution I’m reading.

Walker said it would take away the state’s negotiating power if it could only pursue one option, and proceeded to call the bill “unalaskan.”

What do the bill sponsors think of his reaction?

While the legislators certainly got a rise out of the governor, they said that was not their intent. Rep. Mike Hawker, an Anchorage Republican, said it should not surprise the governor that legislators introduce legislation when there are policy disagreements with the executive.

Hawker: We get to introduce a bill. We put it in committee. And we invite the governor and his people to come and talk to us about our concerns in a very open and transparent public forum. And that’s all it was today. We introduced a bill to advance the discussion to try to identify, understand, and discuss with this administration what this new competing plan is. And with all respect, the governor obviously he just was incredibly agitated today. It looked to me he was up there shaking in front of that press conference.

The sponsors were offended by some of Walker’s statements. Majority Leader Charisse Millett, an Anchorage Republican, said she felt the governor impugned their motives.

MILLETT: It doesn’t help the conversation. It doesn’t help the relationship. You know, we have a policy where we would like to include the governor in all of our conversations.We welcome him. We welcome his input. We have reached out to him. We have been up to his office. We have tried to communicate with him. We stand ready to work with the governor.

So, what happens to the bill now?

In a way, this is kind of like the Legislature poking the bear. While some of the sponsors said they did not expect Walker to react the way he did, it’s really not that shocking that the governor would oppose a bill that’s meant to torpedo his new gasline plan.

But in the end, as governor, Walker is still the bear. He said the bill was dead on arrival.

WALKER: I would veto this in a minute.

So, even though the bill will be heard and go through the process, the substance of the legislation almost doesn’t matter at all. It’s just another way where these two competing powers can promote their two competing visions for a gasline.

This isn’t the only time the Republican leadership and the governor have clashed. Where does their relationship go from here?

You’re right. Last week, the House Finance committee removed a line accepting Medicaid expansion out of its budget, which Walker had described as a major priority of his on the campaign trail.

While both camps have said they are willing to work with the other, neither party said they would be the one to reach out and ask for meetings.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/gov-walker-republican-leadership-tangle-over-proposed-lng-line/feed/0noSince Gov. Bill Walker was inaugurated, he and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have traded reams of angry letters and testy press releases. Now, their paper battle has transformed into outright hostility in dueling press conferences. APRN’s AlexanAlaska Public Radio NetworkSince Gov. Bill Walker was inaugurated, he and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have traded reams of angry letters and testy press releases. Now, their paper battle has transformed into outright hostility in dueling press conferences. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez is on the line to talk about the disagreements over a proposed natural gas line. Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/gov-walker-republican-leadership-tangle-over-proposed-lng-line/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302-01.mp3Nearly $1 Billion Needed To Modernize Rural Sanitation Systemshttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/3ZvIPdsnxQs/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/nearly-1-billion-needed-to-modernize-rural-sanitation-systems/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:28:06 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136052Download Audio]]>Members of the Legislative Bush Caucus were told last week in a “Lunch and Learn” session on rural sanitation almost a billion dollars is needed to build, replace, and maintain rural sanitation systems. But, the gap between the level of need and funding is widening.

State and tribal representatives told members of the Bush Caucus it would take about $900 million to do what’s needed to bring modern sanitation to all Alaskans.

Last year the state put about $9 million and federal agencies put $51 million toward rural sanitation in Alaska. The combined $60 million is less than half of allocations 10 years ago.

David Beveridge, the director of project management at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, or ANTHC, says Alaska is competing with other states for its share of a shrinking pool of federal funding.

“If you look through the village safe water program, it gets matched with federal dollars on a 25-75 percent ratio,” Beveridge said. “So for any 25 dollars the federal government will kick in the 75 dollars. So that’s been a big component of the funding in Alaska and that’s gone down.”

The issue is one of public health, according to Bill Griffith, the Facility Program Manager for Village Safe Water with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. He told Legislators recent studies show Alaskans without clean water and flush toilets experience dramatically higher rates of hospitalization for respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.

“Those rates were anywhere from 5 times greater to 11 times greater in villages in Alaska with less than 10 percent of homes served,” Griffith said.

And Griffith says, a significant number of Alaskan communities are un-served or under-served.

“There’s about 30 villages around the state that don’t have running water and sewer to any homes, coupled with about a dozen or so communities that have what we call small haul systems where they use trailers to bring water to homes and then they use different trailers to pick up sewage,” he said.

Climate change is adding to the magnitude of the issue.

“We’re at Noatak right now where part of the ground under the water plant is frozen and part of it is becoming unfrozen,” Gavin Dixon, who manages a Rural Energy Initiative for ANTHC, said. “There’s 15-inches of differential in the facility. So the building is cracking, and falling apart. So it’s an issue that’s happening now and it’s happening in a lot of different communities.”

Dixon says energy audits show that investments of an average of $80,000 per community for little fixes would return much more in energy cost savings in just four or five years. He says those savings in energy costs would boost local economies and cut state spending for power cost equalization subsidies.

Rep. Neal Foster, of Nome, says improving rural sanitation would boost the state’s economy. And he says Legislators would create an uproar if they experienced the same conditions.

“Boy, if we ever took every toilet out of this building, you know it would be a revolution we wouldn’t stand for, people, essentially living in a third-world type situation,” Foster said. “So I think it’s something that needs to be made a priority. I think that we have to bring people at the lowest rungs up before we can move forward as a state.”

Agencies and tribes are collaborating to improve operator training and reduce operation costs. And they working with the private sector to create innovative designs well suited to Arctic conditions.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/nearly-1-billion-needed-to-modernize-rural-sanitation-systems/feed/0noMembers of the Legislative Bush Caucus were told last week in a “Lunch and Learn” session on rural sanitation almost a billion dollars is needed to build, replace, and maintain rural sanitation systems. But, the gap between the level of need and funding iAlaska Public Radio NetworkMembers of the Legislative Bush Caucus were told last week in a “Lunch and Learn” session on rural sanitation almost a billion dollars is needed to build, replace, and maintain rural sanitation systems. But, the gap between the level of need and funding is widening. Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/nearly-1-billion-needed-to-modernize-rural-sanitation-systems/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302-03.mp3Drones Don’t Fly At Alaska’s Board Of Fishhttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/U5GDL4NfrrA/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/drones-dont-fly-at-alaskas-board-of-fish/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:26:44 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136031Download Audio]]>

Not all drones are alike. This unmanned aircraft — now banned by the Board — is just large enough to carry a camera. (Flickr photo/Don McCullough)

The Alaska Board of Fisheries closed some waters near Angoon to purse seining in order to improve subsistence harvests, in action over the weekend.

They also shot down the use of unmanned aircraft to aid in salmon fishing.

The closure was intended to improve access to sockeye salmon in freshwater systems important to the subsistence harvest in Angoon.

During committee work earlier in the week, Angoon residents spoke passionately about the impact of low sockeye availability, and subsistence harvest limits often as low as 15 fish.

Alaska Department of Fish & Game staff initially opposed Proposal 193, because it would limit their flexibility to manage the seine fishery.

However, the stakeholders were able to put together a compromise that permanently closed waters that the department routinely closed by emergency order.

Board member Sue Jeffrey acknowledged the effort.

“You know, I’m in support of this. This is exactly what we appreciate, when the opposing parties come together and find a solution that works for everyone.”

Subsistence sockeye fishing in Angoon came into the spotlight in 2009 when then-state senator Albert Kookesh — an Alaska Native and lifetime Angoon resident — was cited by troopers for overfishing his permit. The charges were later dismissed.

But many other proposals did not fly — literally — in board deliberations on Sunday — namely, Proposal 204, which would have banned the use of spotter planes during seine openings for salmon. Given the number of small aircraft in use in Southeast Alaska, Department of Public Safety representatives thought enforcing a ban would be very difficult. They referred to the proposal as “a solution looking for a problem.”

The Board rejected the proposed ban on spotter planes.

Drones, however, were not so lucky. Proposal 205 would ban the use of unmanned aircraft in salmon fisheries.

Moriskiy – I’m for keeping pilots employed, and not using unmanned aircraft for fish spotting.
Klubertson – Thank you. I tend to look very hard at existing patterns of areas and fisheries, and I do like — whenever possible — to promote economic stability. We’ve had aircraft in this region for a long time. There are folks who stake their livelihoods, and contribute to local economies flying their aircraft. I feel it’s just an unnecessary move, and as Member Jeffrey said, it’s not something I want over my head.

Strictly speaking, the Board of Fish lacks jurisdiction over aircraft use. But it can — and did — ban the use of drones to aid in in all commercial salmon fishing.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/drones-dont-fly-at-alaskas-board-of-fish/feed/0noThe Alaska Board of Fisheries closed some waters near Angoon to purse seining in order to improve subsistence harvests, in action over the weekend. They also shot down the use of unmanned aircraft to aid in salmon fishing. Download AudioAlaska Public Radio NetworkThe Alaska Board of Fisheries closed some waters near Angoon to purse seining in order to improve subsistence harvests, in action over the weekend. They also shot down the use of unmanned aircraft to aid in salmon fishing. Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/drones-dont-fly-at-alaskas-board-of-fish/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302-05.mp3Iditarod Trail Invitational Competitors En Route To Nomehttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/Y_zCxQFXCw4/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/iditarod-trail-invitational-competitors-en-route-to-nome/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:24:30 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136069Download Audio]]>Fifty-three racers are taking on Alaska’s vast wilderness under their own power as part of the the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The race follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome. It’s billed as the world’s longest ultra marathon by bike, foot, or ski.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/iditarod-trail-invitational-competitors-en-route-to-nome/feed/0noFifty-three racers are taking on Alaska's vast wilderness under their own power as part of the the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The race follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome. It’s billed as the world's longest ultra marathon by bike, footAlaska Public Radio NetworkFifty-three racers are taking on Alaska's vast wilderness under their own power as part of the the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The race follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome. It’s billed as the world's longest ultra marathon by bike, foot, or ski. Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/iditarod-trail-invitational-competitors-en-route-to-nome/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302-08.mp3Alaska News Nightly: March 2, 2015http://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/RVm_gWcuY6I/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/alaska-news-nightly-march-2-2015/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:22:38 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136072Download Audio]]>

Since Gov. Bill Walker was inaugurated, he and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have traded reams of angry letters and testy press releases. Now, their paper battle has transformed into outright hostility in dueling press conferences. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez is on the line to talk about the disagreements over a proposed natural gas line.

Groups to sue Port of Seattle over Shell drilling fleet

The Associated Press

A coalition of environmental groups plan to sue to stop Royal Dutch Shell PLC from use Seattle’s waterfront as a homeport for its Arctic oil drilling fleet.

Nearly $1 Billion Needed To Modernize Rural Sanitation Systems

Joaqlin Estus, KNBA – Anchorage

Members of the Legislative Bush Caucus were told last week in a “Lunch and Learn” session on rural sanitation that the state needs almost a billion dollars to build, replace, and maintain rural sanitation systems. But, the gap between the level of need and funding is large.

State Auctions Off Enormous Number Of Caribou Antlers

Zachariah Hughes, KSKA – Anchorage

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game held its annual hide and horn auction in downtown Anchorage yesterday, selling off all the leftover animal products the state comes to possess while managing Alaska’s wildlife. This year, an enormous number of caribou antlers went to bid, the result of a trafficking case stretching from Juneau to the Northwest Arctic village of Selawik.

Drones Don’t Fly At Alaska’s Board Of Fish

Robert Woolsey, KCAW – Sitka

The Alaska Board of Fisheries, in action over the weekend banned the use of unmanned aircraft to aid in salmon fishing.

Below Average King Salmon Run Expected on Kuskokwim

Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel

The state is expecting a bigger run of king salmon on the Kuskokwim this summer, but still well below average. State managers say they expect strong conservation measures to continue in 2015 to ensure enough fish make it up the river to spawn. They’re seeking early input to make the season a success.

Iditarod Trail Invitational Competitors En Route To Nome

Evan Erickson, KSKA – Anchorage

53 racers are taking on Alaska’s vast wilderness under their own power as part of the the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The race follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome. It’s billed as the world’s longest ultra marathon by bike, foot, or ski.

Exploring The Dena’ina Past, Present And Future

Anne Hillman, KSKA – Anchorage

Anchorage is celebrating its centennial this year, but the area has been inhabited for centuries longer by the Dena’ina, who still live in the area today.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/alaska-news-nightly-march-2-2015/feed/0noGov. Walker, Republican Leadership Tangle Over Proposed LNG Line; Groups to sue Port of Seattle over Shell drilling fleet; Nearly $1 Billion Needed To Modernize Rural Sanitation Systems; State Auctions Off Enormous Number Of Caribou Antlers; Drones Don’t Alaska Public Radio NetworkGov. Walker, Republican Leadership Tangle Over Proposed LNG Line; Groups to sue Port of Seattle over Shell drilling fleet; Nearly $1 Billion Needed To Modernize Rural Sanitation Systems; State Auctions Off Enormous Number Of Caribou Antlers; Drones Don’t Fly At Alaska’s Board Of Fish; Below Average King Salmon Run Expected on Kuskokwim; Iditarod Trail Invitational Competitors En Route To Nome; Exploring The Dena'ina Past, Present And Future Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/alaska-news-nightly-march-2-2015/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ann-20150302.mp3Shell Will Limit Rigs to One Moorage, Say Port Officialshttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/AXukeIJPR5M/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/shell-will-limit-rigs-to-one-moorage-say-port-officials/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 01:34:34 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136046Local officials say Shell Oil has agreed to keep their drill rigs tied up in just one location each in Unalaska, as the company looks to return to the Arctic this summer.

In their request to use state tidelands, Shell listed Wide Bay, Nateekin Bay and Summer Bay all as potential moorage sites for the Polar Pioneer. Now, they say the latter two will be back-ups, for use in emergencies only.

That’s according to Rick Entenmann, with the Alaska Marine Pilots. He says he met with Shell’s marine team in Anchorage last week, and posed concerns that cycling the rig through all three areas would obstruct vessel traffic.

Wide Bay, at top left, would be the primary moorage for the Polar Pioneer. The other two options would be used only as back-ups. (via Shell Oil)

“I’m just clearing the air there that they weren’t planning on putting the Polar Pioneer anywhere but Wide Bay,” he says. “That’s the big one, because she’s got eight anchors out, and she takes up quite a bit of space. So Wide Bay would be out of the way as far as major traffic is concerned.”

He says the vessel would only move to Nateekin or Summer Bay in case of disaster — like if a disabled vessel needed to tie up at the emergency mooring buoy in Wide Bay.

“The other two — I understand they need something on paper,” Entenmann says, “and hopefully that’s all we get, what’s on paper.”

He says Shell also told him their Noble Discoverer drill ship would stay in one place, too — in Broad Bay, just south of Wide Bay, except in emergencies. And he says both ships will take their anchors with them when they move. He expects the rigs will stay in Unalaska for at least a month this summer before heading north.

Shell spokeswoman Megan Baldino confirmed that the company’s marine team met with Entenmann, but declined to discuss other details.

“We continue to engage with the pilots and the port as well on the back-up contingency mooring locations for Shell’s assets,” she says. “It’s a dialogue that we really appreciate and we value.”

Public comment on the moorage plan closed on Wednesday. Candice Snow, at the Department of Natural Resources, says they got a comment from the city of Unalaska about the meeting with Shell, and two more from residents with similar concerns about the mooring locations.

Snow says it’ll be at least a couple of weeks before the permits are finalized — even as some of Shell’s fleet makes its way to Unalaska. That leaves time for one last visit from Shell representatives. The city has asked them to come out in mid-March to go over the final details for the summer season.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/shell-will-limit-rigs-to-one-moorage-say-port-officials/feed/0noLocal officials say Shell Oil has agreed to keep their drill rigs tied up in just one location each in Unalaska, as the company looks to return to the Arctic this summer. Alaska Public Radio NetworkLocal officials say Shell Oil has agreed to keep their drill rigs tied up in just one location each in Unalaska, as the company looks to return to the Arctic this summer. alaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/shell-will-limit-rigs-to-one-moorage-say-port-officials/https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/Attachment.aspx?id=98521New Technology Proves Vital To Alaska’s National Weather Service Forecastershttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/HirjeDcXchs/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/new-technology-proves-vital-to-alaskas-national-weather-service-forecasters/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 21:52:44 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136041Download Audio]]>

Today we’re doing the weather. Dave Snider is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He does a daily statewide forecast for public television stations.

The final product you see is full of graphics, but inside the massive TV studio it’s just Snider and a single green screen.

“It is a little wonky at first when you’re looking at yourself moving one way and you’re going the other way,” Snider said. “But most of these kids now, if you could play Minecraft, they could do the green screen just fine.”

Snider has been a weatherman for 18 years, three of which he’s spent in Alaska. He says forecasting up here is unique; not only is the weather harder to predict, it’s more important to get it right.

“Rain in the Midwest is different for impacts than it is for Juneau,” he said. “If it’s raining and windy in Juneau you might not be able to fly in. And that’s it for the day.”

Luckily, Snider says the technology that goes into meteorology has improved dramatically, a lot of it just in the past 10 years. That creates a more accurate forecast, and a longer range.

“You know, one to five days out you can be pretty good,” Snider said. “Six to seven days, modestly good. After that you’re starting to look at trends a little more.”

And that is an incredible feat when you consider the history of weather forecast.

A quick weather 101; Aristotle is often credited for being the first weather man. He wrote a book titled Meterologica in 340 B.C. The book was used as an everyday weather encyclopedia until Galileo created the first version of a thermometer in the late 16th century. It turned out that almost all of Aristotle’s theories were wrong.

So for nearly 2,000 years people were relying on a book that was, for lack of better words; just wingin’ it. Certainly we had plenty of advancements since Galileo’s time as well, but what changed in the past decade to make weather forecast so accurate?

For that answer we head back to the home base of the National Weather Service. Mike Ottenweller is a tech guy at the NWS, and he spends a lot of time looking at satellite images. He says not only are there more satellites transmitting at higher resolutions, but the weather models that people like Ottenweller create to predict the weather are very polished.

“And these models over time have been refined again and again with different physics and algorithms so that ultimately they’re producing the best results,” Ottenweller said. “We’re coming into an age now where we are seeing hurricane models that are vastly outperforming what they used to do 10 years ago. So that’s a good example of where technology has taken us.”

And how could we credit any kind of 21st century advancement without mentioning social media? Ottenweller says the National Weather Service often uses updates through Facebook or Twitter from their volunteers around the state.

“And that allows us to verify whether or not there is snow falling in a certain location or high winds are occurring,” Ottenweller said. “And if they’re not occurring we can change the forecast to reflect exactly what is happening so that’s really led to significant improvements in forecast and a lot more frequent updates when there needs to be an update.”

I can’t figure out if it’s hilarious or tragic that Aristotle was no match for Facebook, but Dave Snider assures me that meteorology will likely never be an exact science. And maybe it’s fitting that he says it in an almost philosophical way.

“One flap of the butterfly wings on Saturday could mean that by Monday and Tuesday the storm is moving left instead of right,” Snider said.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/new-technology-proves-vital-to-alaskas-national-weather-service-forecasters/feed/0noToday we’re doing the weather. Dave Snider is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He does a daily statewide forecast for public television stations. The final product you see is full of graphics, but inside the massive TV studio it’s just SAlaska Public Radio NetworkToday we’re doing the weather. Dave Snider is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He does a daily statewide forecast for public television stations. The final product you see is full of graphics, but inside the massive TV studio it’s just Snider and a single green screen. Download Audioalaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/new-technology-proves-vital-to-alaskas-national-weather-service-forecasters/http://media.aprn.org/2015/ts49-20150302.mp3Below Average King Salmon Run Expected on Kuskokwimhttp://feeds.aprn.org/~r/aprn-all/~3/PY9KF0wIAbA/
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/below-average-king-salmon-run-expected-on-kuskokwim/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:27:07 +0000webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network)http://www.alaskapublic.org/?p=136035

2015 is predicted to be a below-average king salmon run. (Photo by Ben Matheson / KYUK)

The state is expecting a bigger run of king salmon on the Kuskokwim this summer, but still well below average. State managers say they expect strong conservation measures to continue in 2015 to ensure enough fish make it up the river to spawn. Leading up to the season, managers are seeking early input to make the season a success.

On the bright side, state managers are confident that the Kuskokwim drainage made the escapement goal in 2014, a year with a weak run and unprecedented early season fishing restrictions. This week they announced their 2015 forecast of 96,000 to 163,000 king salmon, up from the 70,000 to 117,000 they predicted last year. Aaron Poetter is the Kuskokwim area salmon management biologist.

“Again, it’s going to be a well below average run, based on that, so we certainly need to be, again, conservative in the 2015 season,” said Poetter.

The 25-year average is double the forecast size, around 243,000 fish. King salmon have been in decline for several years. The fishery was federalized last summer and saw directed king salmon fishing closed, except for a brief “taste” through community permits. Heavy salmon restrictions were in place for May and June. Poetter says he and his colleagues have not decided on any specific restrictions at this point.

“If the forecast does come to fruition we should have a few more Chinook in the river than the 2014 season. It’s a forecast; we won’t really know until the season begins. If we start with an early season closure, like in 2014, it’ll give us the opportunity to be conservative for our approach to the season. It’ll begin to give us an idea of how the run is coming together- the strength of it,” said Poetter.

The Board of Fish will consider proposals in March for gear changes during king salmon conservation periods. One would require that whitefish nets be staked, another could limit the length of nets, and a third changes rules for fishwheels. Poetter says the department is hosting three days of meetings in Bethel, March 25th through 27th.

“We want to hear from the fisherman. We’ll talk about what the 2015 season could look like, and what we learned in 2014. We’ll have the Board of Fish meeting out of the way prior to the meeting, and we’ll have a better landscape of what our tools look like and what we can do,” said Poetter.

One day is set aside for a fisherman’s meeting. Another day is for the annual inter-agency meeting, usually held in Anchorage, to review the latest research. Another day is a meeting of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group.

]]>http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/below-average-king-salmon-run-expected-on-kuskokwim/feed/0noThe state is expecting a bigger run of king salmon on the Kuskokwim this summer, but still well below average. State managers say they expect strong conservation measures to continue in 2015 to ensure enough fish make it up the river to spawn. Leading up Alaska Public Radio NetworkThe state is expecting a bigger run of king salmon on the Kuskokwim this summer, but still well below average. State managers say they expect strong conservation measures to continue in 2015 to ensure enough fish make it up the river to spawn. Leading up to the season, managers are seeking early input to make the season a success.alaska,news,aprn,talk,nightly,anchorage,fairbanks,juneau,bethel,nome,barrow,sitka,politics,legislature,washington,dchttp://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/03/02/below-average-king-salmon-run-expected-on-kuskokwim/http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/513424019.pdfCopyright (c)2007 APRN and Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.Alaska Public Radio Networknonadult